Apparatus for making wing-nuts



Jan. i9, 1937. HROSENBERG 2,068,076

APPARATUS FOR MAKNG WNG NUTS Filed Aug. 12. 1952 a sheets-sheet 1 Y LUL 3S l /ll lll e' "J H BYMAN RESEB E@ Jim 19, l937- H. RosENBERG APPARATUS FOR MAKING WING NUTS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 12, 1932 gwoefntoz;

Jan. 19, 193.7. H. RosENBERG APPARATUS FOR MAKING WING NUTS Filed Aug. 12, 1932 s sheets-sheet s LEN Qdi

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Patented Jan. y19, l1,937*

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims.

my co-pending application Serial No. 612,32'7,

led May 19, 1932..

An object of the invention is to deliver blanks successively one at a time to a carrier or transfer device and to effectively retain all other'blanks v against access to such carrier during delivery by the carrier of a blank to the dies.

A further object is to safeguard against the misfortune of a misplacing of a blank in its engagement with the carrier, and to provide for extraordinary release of a blank when required incident to such a misplacement.

Another object of the present invention is the production of a nut body of especially exact, accurate, and well formedcontour free from those slight defects that frequently arise incident to the presence of a-n ejector plunger functioning through the male die; and a further object is the provision of means for effectively stripping nuts from such die without the necessity for a plunger Within the die.

A still further object is the formation of a depression in the base of the nut in the course of the shaping of the nut, which depression is located and proportioned to provide a countersink or bevelled end portion to the bore of the nut,

which thus prevents the outstanding of a bur at the base of the nut incident to the action of a tap forming threads in the nut.

With these and further objects in view as will in part hereinafter become apparent and in part be stated, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts as subsequently specified and claimed.

In the accompanying draWings,-

Figure 1 is a View partly in side elevation and partly in section of an apparatus embodying the features of the present invention, the parts being shown in ythe position where a new blank has just been inserted in the female die by the feeder plunger, an additional' blankhas just been released in the feeder tube to the carrier, and a nut is about to be stripped from the male die.

Figure 2 is a similar` View of the same with-the parts in the position of the second step in the cycle of operation where the feeding of blanks through the feeder tube is prevented and the male die has just completed its nut-forming stroke within the female die.

Figure 3 is a transverse, vertical section taken on the plane indicated by line 3--3 o f Figure 1, andlooking toward the female die.

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus seen in Figures 1 and 2, parts being broken away for disclosing parts beneath.

Figure 5 is an enlarged, vertical section through the supply hopper and upper end portion of the feeder tube, parts being seen in 'elevation showing the action of feeding a blank to the feeder tube.

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation of the lower portion of the feeder tube showing the action of the spring-pressed detent for locking out the blanks and preventing feeding thereof along the tube during certain `movements of the balance of the apparatus.

Figure '7 is a view similar to Figure 5 taken from a plane at right angles to the plane of the section of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is an enlarged, fragmentary, longitudinal section through the lower end portion of the feeder tube showing the spring-stressed release gate. A

Figure 9 is a vertical section through a wingnut so far as completed by the present apparatus, and indicating in dotted lines the position of the bore to be formed through the body of the nut.

As stated in my said co-pending patent application, standard headers for rivet making operate faster than stamping mechanism, and where headers may be used in lieu of stamping machines other savings are effected, and it is an object of the present invention to achieve all of the objects above pointed out While utilizing a standard header for the production of nuts and particuplication, brief reference thereto is all that will be required. The carrier 3 is made up of a main plate connected by a bolt 4 with the bar 2. A stop 5 is fixed to the frame l in position to interrupt return movement of a bar 6 slidingly carried by the under edge of the main plate of the carrier 3. The bar 6, as seen in detail in my said co-pending application, is slotted longitudinally and held'by bolts 1, 1, against detachment from said main plate while being left free to slide, and the bar 6 is preferably stressed by a spring, not illustrated, in a direction toward the stop 5. A clamping jaw 8 is pivoted to the forward end of the bar 6, and is stressed by a spring 9 rearward or toward a clamping position. The

inner or operative clamping face of the jaw 8 is preferably grooved, as seen in my said co-pending application, to adapt it to snugly engage a nut blank, and the main body of the carrier 3 is correspondingly oppositely notched in its end portion so that the wing part of a wing-nut blank can be clamped between the jaw 8 and the said main plate. Portions of the said main plate are cut away or notched to accommodate the passage of a feeding plunger', when the blank is to be moved from the carrier 3 into engagement with the female die, as hereinafter described. A nger I is pivotally carried by the main plate of the carrier 3 and stressed by a spring Il to position for serving as a guide for a nut blank while capable of moving pivotally laterally when required to allow movement of the blank.

Arranged with its bore in line with the space between the jaw 8 and the main plate of carrier 3, when the carrier is in its rearmost position, is a nut blank feeding tube I2 located to deposit blanks in position to'drop past the finger I0 into the space between the jaw 8 and the main plate of carrier 3, so that, when the carrier begins its inward movement and the stop allows the spring to pull the slide plate 6 to the jaw-clamping position, the blank will be clamped between jaw l8 and the adjacent edge of the main plate of the carrier and thus firmly held until brought to a position in line with the female die.

At the upper end of the tube I2 is preferably arranged a hopper or supply box I3 having a discharge opening I4 in its base and a downwardly-extending sleeve I 5 surrounding said discharge opening and proportioned to snugly receive the upper end portion of the tube I2. The upper end of the tube I2 is preferably 'reamed out or otherwise counterbored or treated to provide a ared portion I6 to aid in guiding blanks to an upright position. A bracket orother ap.

propriate support I1 is preferably fixed to the bar 2, or other means of reciprocation, and bracket I1 carries a ilexible brush I8 which may be of leather, fabric, or other appropriate material, and is preferably detachably carried directly by a plate I9 having an arm or shank 20 upstanding andadjustably engaged in an eye 2I forming part of a rod 22 adjustably xed to the bracket I1`. 'Ihe parts 20, 22, and I1 are preferably adjustably connected by set screws 23, though other connections may, of course, be provided. Of course, any of numerous other arrangements may be made for providing a brush within the hopper I3 connected to a reciprocat- -ing part of the header mechanism, so as to cause the brush I8 to reciprocate within the hopper in the space above and across the discharge opening I4, whereby a batch or mass of nut blanks within the hopper is agitated and those blanks lying improperly with respect to the discharge opening I4 to fall into the same will be moved out 0f the Way and allow others to fall after the manner indicated in Figure 5.

It is to be noted that the discharge opening I4 is of greater diameter than one-half the length of a 'iut blank and of less diameter than the to an upright position, so that the blanks descend' in the tube I 2 after the manner shown in Figure 6. There is nopossibility of clogging and the tube l2 is of ample diameter to allow free feeding of the blanks arranged end to end.

The present invention relates more particularly to the formation of wing-nuts and in the constructing of the wing-nutsI the blanksl are prepared by severing sections of wire of the re.- quired length and then compressing the wire lengthwise in an appropriate 'die to cause the body of the thus severed'section'to swell approximately midway of its length into a bulbous enlargement which is to become the body of the nished nut while the parts of the wire section beyond the bulbous enlargement at either side are to form the Wings. Thus,- the nut blanks for forming wing-nuts each consists of a central enlargement 24 and lateral extensions Aor wing portions 25, 25, and are prepared to this condition before being supplied to the hopper I3.

In my said co-pending application apparatus is illustrated and described whereby nut blanks are allowed to rest on the upper edge of the reciprocating carrier during its full stroke,v so that the carrier itself is depended upon to segregate each blank received from the succeeding blanks which remain up in the feeder tube, but the present invention contemplates segregation of the blanks independently of the carrier so as to allow the next succeedingl blank to be fed into the carrier to engage the upper edge of the carrier only for a minimum time. To this end, a detent is provided for the nut blanks within the tube I2, andthe said detent preferably consists of a pin or finger v26 disposed to reciprocate through an opening 21 in the wall of tube I2 to successively intercept the descent of the blanks within the tube. The detent pin 26 is carried by an operating lever 28 pivoted at 29 either to the tube I2 or to an appropriate bracket 30 which sustains the tube. The bracket 30 is mounted on and preferably fixed to the frame I, as by a bolt 3l. The lever 28 is adapted to be tripped by any appropriate mechanism, such as hereinafter described, and is spring stressed, as by spring 32, so as to be held constantly in the position seen in Figure 6 in engagement, with a nut blank Within tube I2, except when tripped. A convenient arrangement of the spring 32 disposes it in position to have its outer or free end seated in a recess 33 in the upper end of the lever 28, but any of other convenient arrangements may be provided. A tap-receiving head 34 is preferably formed on the upper end of the lever 28 to receive the tripping taps of a finger 35 c arried by a bracket 36. Finger 35 is preferably in-the form of an adjustable ypart carried by the bracket 36, and a bolt actuated with two reciprocations, one 'a main body 75 in, but illustrated in my said co-pending applicaor horizontal reciprocation to effect the rivet heading or die stamping operation, and the other a vertical movement between die stamping operations to bring the required plungers or dies or feeding ngers, as the case may be, into proper alinement. The main plunger head 31 carries the bracket 38, so that at one of its die-stamping strokes the finger 35 contacts with the lever 28 and trips the same so as to release the detent 26 from engagement with the blanks within tube l2, but as the plunger head 31 is moved upward for the next die-stamping stroke, the finger 35 will be out of alinement with lever 28, as'plainly seen in Figure 2, and the tripping action will, therefore, not occur. The stroke of the finger 35 against the lever 28 is a relatively quick one, and the finger is removed from contact with the lever quickly enough to allow the detent 21 to move back to its blank-engaging position as soon as the previously engaged blank has moved by gravity past the place of the detent 26 and before the next succeeding blank can pass the detent, so that the detent engages the next succeeding blank and sustains the column vof blanks after the manner -seen 'in Figure 6 until the next tripping of the lever 28. Thus, a blank is dropped along tube i2- below detent 26 with each alternating diestamping stroke of the main plunger 31, and the reciprocation of the bar 2 is timed relative to the strokes of the main plunger 31 such that the new blank is dropped by the detent 25 just as theold blank is being moved from the carrier 3 into engagement with the female die and the newly dropped blank therefore descends to re'st endwise on the upper edge of the main plate of the carrier 3 where it remains in sliding engagement While the carrier is brought back to the position seen in Figure 3 where the newly dropped blank again drops and this time into Contact with the slide plate 6 where it is gripped by the jaw 8 with the next inward thrust of the carrier 3.

Main plunger head 31 carries the male die-38 which corresponds with the male die shown in my above-identified co-pending application but differs therefrom in that die 38 has no'internal or ejecting plunger, and is, therefore, a complete, integral, imperforate mass. Above the die 38 the main plunger head 31 carries a projecting finger 39 positioned for engaging a nutblank when the blank has been located by the carrier-3 in line with the female die, whereby movement of the main plunger head 31 in that forward stroke or die-stamping stroke, when the finger 39 is in line with the female die, is destined to push the blank from the carrier 3 bodily edgewise into engagement with the female die, and this action occurs at the same time that the nger 35 engages andv trips the leuer 28. I

The frame l carries the female die 40 in the line of the strokes of the die 38 and finger 39 as they are alternately brought the one to its lower position and the other to its upper position in the successive strokes of the main plunger head 31.4

Die 40 is provided with upper and lower spring jaws 4I positioned to engage the ends of a nut blank as the nut blank is forced into contact with the die by the action of the finger 39. The die 48 is recessed and provided with upper and lower lateral grooves d2, 42, to receive the wing portions 25 of the blank while the bulbous enlargement 24 engages the contiguous end of an ejector plunger 43 extending axially through the die 48 and exposed within the die recess.- The plunger 43 is engaged by an alined push rod 44 which in turn engages thrust mechanism, not shown heretion, timed to retain the plunger 43 in its rearward position or position seen in Figure 2 as the blank is being formed by the male die 38 into the die recess of die 40 and to follow the blank outward to substantially the position seen in Figure 1 to insure ejectment of the blank as the die 38 is moving back from the position seen in Figure 2. The plunger B3 is provided with a partiy globular, centrally located, endwise projection 35 at its end extending into the die -recess of die 38.

The die 38 is provided with lateral grooves 46, 48, adapted to oppose and cooperate with the grooves 42 in accommodating the wing portions 25, and the apex of the die 38 is provided with a recess 41 (see Figure 4) having the contour of.

the body of the finished nut.

Pivoted to the frame l, as at 48, is a nut stripper consisting of a lever bar 49;, a finger 50 carried at the free end thereof, and a spring 51 stressing the lever bar to a nut-engaging position. The nger 50 has a bevelled or rounded face 52 presented toward the approaching nut as the die 38 moves toward the lever bar 39, so that the stripper is adapted to be cammed by the inclined wall 52 engaging one of the inclined wings of the nut, so that the nger 50 automaticallyassumes a position in the rear of the nut when the nut is brought forward with the stroke of the plunger head 31 that causes finger 39 to push a nut blank into engagement with die 40. IThe stripper is shown pivoted in an appropriate recess in the body of the frame i, but, of course, may

be otherwise located as found most convenient.

In operation, the blanks are supplied to the hopper i3 in suiiicient quantities to keep the machine supplied with blanks. and aside from defects developing in the various parts of the mechanism owing to wear and -the like, the machine requires no attention of an operator, but is thoroughly and completely automatic, so that one operator can easily look after a dozen or more headers constructed in accordance with the present invention and provided with the parts for nut-forming operations. By contrast, stamping machines, though working slower than headers, require each an .operator so that the present inventionrepresents a very substantial saving in the cost'of operation. The blank reaching the carrier 3 drops between the inner end edge of the main plate of the carrier and the jaw 8, and then the carrier begins to move from the position seen in Figure 3 to a position locating the blank in line with the jaws 4I and upon a very slight movement in that direction the jaw 8 is allowed -to clamp the blank so as to hold it 'emergency release gate 53 is provided to close an otherwise laterallyl open section of .the lower end portion of tube I 2.- The gate 53 is pivoted at 54 to the main portion of the tube, and a spring' v 55 fixed to the ,tube at one end at its free end engages the gate 53 and retains the same closed under all normal conditions. however, allows the gate' 53 to .swing open to permit the passage of an upwardly projecting The spring 55 portion of an incompletely seated blank, so that stances where it has been known to occur, the

blank has invariably dropped to a fully seated position properly located in the carrier 3 as soon as it has passed the gate 53.

When the carrier 3 reaches the position with the blank in line with the clamping jaws 4|, the

finger 39'will be approaching the blank within lliO the carrier, and striking the blank will thrust it laterally from the carrier 3 to a gripped position between the spring jaws 4|. This movement is quickly accomplished and the nger 38 immediately recedes with the return movement of the main plunger head 31. As the finger 39 presses the blankv4 to the position between spring jaws 4|, the finger 35 trips lever` 28 and allows a new blank to drop downto the upper edge of the main plate of carrier 3, so that the new blank will be ready to drop tothe position seen in Figure 3 as soon as the carrier returns'to its blank-receiving position. When the plunger head 31 has made its receding stroke, it moves upward and makes a second advance stroke causing the die 38 to move into the die recess of die 40 and press the blank to the required body formation within the recess 41, and'at the same timebend the wing portions 25 to the inclined positions seen` in Figure 2, so

that they lie in the registering grooves 42 and detail in Figure 9 where to complete the nut the body of the nut must be perforated, as indicated in dotted lines at 58, and then tapped to provide the required thread; and it is preferable also to atten the wing portions of the nut after the operation of the dies 38 and 40. It will be noted that the recess 56 is of suflicient depth and diameter relative to the bore 58 to be formed in the nut that, when the nut is tapped, the bur that is inevitably produced at the lower end portion of the die will appear within the recess `56 and not be exposed beyond the base of the nut, and

'such base is, therefore, left smooth and flat and enables an easy and perfect manual vseating of the nut against the engaged work.

When the parts have reached the positionseen in Figure 2, the nut will have thus been given its completed formation so far as the present im- `proved apparatus and process are concerned and now remains only the ejection of the thus formed nut. cess of die 40 as the die 38 recedes, the plunger 43 will in advancing from the position seenpin Figure 2 to the position seen in Figure 1, which it doesas the die 38 recedes, eject the blank from the die 40. But the nut seldom remains in the die 40. It usually clings to the die 38, as seen in Figurel, and in that event moves with the die throughout the receding stroke of the main plunger head 31 and through its downward stroke and then with the forward stroke to the position seen in Figure 1 where the nut is in engagement with Should the nut remain within the die rethe stripper andwill be removed by the stripper from die 38 with the beginning of the next receding movement of the die. As the die 38 approaches the position seen in Figure 1, the carrier 3 places a blank in line with the spring jaws 4|,

and the finger 39 forces the blank between said jaws, as seen in Figure 1, and thus the first cycle of the next new operation is begun as the nal cycle of the former operation is being completed.

l What is claimed is:-

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination, with wing-nut stamping means and a reciprocating carrier for bodily carrying wing-nut blanks for delivering blanks to the stamping.

, be received, carried, and released by said carrier with the blank in an upright position, of a tube for delivering blanks to the carrier, the tube being located with its discharge end contiguous to the carrier` for discharging wing-nut blanks to the carrier in an upright position and the tube having a lateral opening at its lower end portion for the lateral passage of a portion of a wing-nut blank extending from the carrier during a feeding stroke thereof for enabling the blank to move laterally out of the tube' while in an upright position and while the upper portion of the blank is not below the lower end of the tube.

v2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 with means for closing the said'lateral opening of the tube.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 with a pivotaliy mounted gate for closing the lateral opening of the tube, and means elastically stressing the gate toward its closed position;

4. In die-stamping apparatus for nuts, the combination of cooperating dies for shaping wingnut blanks, and means for moving one of the dies with respect to the other for causing the dies to shape a wing-nut blank therebetween, one of said dies being imperforate and the other die being perforate, the imperforate die being adapted to haveportions of a nut blank formed about its exterior portion, and means for stripping nut blanks axially from the imperforate die by a longitudinal pull.

5. The combination as claimed in clainr 4 the stripping means comprising a resiliently stressed imperforate die to move under its resilient capacity with movement of the blank in one direction and to. resist movement with movement of the blank in the other direction.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein the stripping means comprises a resilient- 'ly stressed detent external of the imperforate die for stripping wing-nut blanks therefrom.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein one of the dies is internally recessed and the other is shaped to enter said recess for the nut-formingoperation, and the latter die is theV imperforate die.

8. In apparatus for cold forging wing-nut blanks the combination of a matrix or `internal die and a cooperating plunger die adapted to bend a blank in the matrix die, the plunger die being exteriorly shaped to conform generally with the contour of unfinished wings and other parts of a wing-nut blank whereby the bending operation of the plunger die causes the blank in the matrix die to be shaped about and enclose external parts of the plunger die, and a stripper for removing a wing-nut blank from the plunger die.

9. A plural stroke header for making wing nuts comprising, in combination, cooperating dies for shaping wing nut blanks and formoving one of the dies with respect to the other to cause the dies to shape a wing nut blank between them at the forming stroke, the movable die being imperforate, and the stationary die being perforate, stripper means associated with the perforate die, the imperforate die being provided with a tapered end having longitudinal grooves at opposite sides thereof so that a wing nut blank m'ay be forged about the exterior of the imperforate die and will be carried away by the imperforate die from the position in which it is so forged, and a stripper finger adapted to pass behind the blank on the movable imperforatedie as the die advances `at the non-forming stroke and to strip the blank from the die as the die retreats.

10. A plural stroke header for making wing nuts comprising, in combination, cooperating movable and stationary dies, means for moving the movable dies to cause the dies to shape a wing nut blank between them at the forming stroke, the movable die being imperforate and adapted to have the wing nut blank formed. about its exterior, said dies being so constructed and arranged that the blank is carried away from the forming position by the movableimperforate die,

and a stripper adapted to cam over and engage behindthe blank as the blank is carried forward at the non-forming stroke of the movable die, and to strip the blank longitudinally from the movable die as the movable die retreats.

HEYMAN ROSENBERG. 

